Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $4,342 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $32,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco, CA
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San Francisco, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,342

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Francisco, CA and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Francisco, CA and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,342 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $4,342
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $6,433 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $6,433
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $8,523 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $8,523
Medellin $3,190

San Francisco, CA costs about 169% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Francisco, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – San Francisco, CA by 222%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.11 $27.11

$7.93 COP 25.2K

241.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$46.13 COP 146.3K

161.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 $15.06

$9.50 COP 30.1K

58.53%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$3.11 COP 9,866

94.86%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.83 COP 5,800

75.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.38 COP 4,360

99.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$3.05 COP 9,672

156.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 $9.25

$5.50 COP 17.4K

68.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.45 COP 4,600

18.62%

White Bread (500g)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.36 COP 7,496

128.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$1.68 COP 5,328

183.33%

Eggs

$4.87 $4.87

$2.86 COP 9,077

70.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.10 $16.10

$10.19 COP 32.3K

58.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.32 $15.32

$9.53 COP 30.2K

60.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.69 $22.69

$14.04 COP 44.5K

61.61%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 $6.20

$4.07 COP 12.9K

52.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.50 COP 4,742

88.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.17 COP 6,891

99.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$2.31 COP 7,310

188.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.93 COP 6,113

50.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.64 COP 5,196

126.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.13 COP 3,571

148.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.25 COP 3,954

107.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.79 $11.79

$3.99 COP 12.6K

195.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.62 $14.62

$13.35 COP 42.3K

9.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.70 COP 5,384

82.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.37 COP 7,525

50.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.21 COP 3,827

140.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 $95.8

$76.5 COP 242.5K

25.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.32 COP 4,179

219.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.14 COP 6,774

-7.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.06 $39.06

$8.47 COP 26.8K

361.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.30 COP 4,114

16.15%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.6K $37.6K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

34.50%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.4K $25.4K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-28.19%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$214 $214

$172 COP 545.6K

24.49%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$13.37 COP 42.4K

364.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 $76.8

$28.73 COP 91.1K

167.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$122 $122

$45.24 COP 143.5K

170.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.47 $21.47

$17.04 COP 54.0K

26.00%

Cinema Ticket

$17.99 $17.99

$6.28 COP 19.9K

186.46%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,943 $2,943

$770 COP 2.4M

282.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.7K $42.7K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

373.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 $76.5

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-11.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.33 $47.33

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-17.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$137 COP 432.9K

-25.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$97.9 COP 310.4K

42.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,749 $3,749

$1,055 COP 3.3M

255.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 $2,617

$616 COP 2.0M

325.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,734 $5,734

$1,892 COP 6.0M

203.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,530 $4,530

$1,023 COP 3.2M

342.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,861 $9,861

$4,059 COP 12.9M

142.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,520 $7,520

$1,678 COP 5.3M

348.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,548 $6,548

$652 COP 2.1M

903.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

10.94

-38.21%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for San Francisco, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60.3%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 76.5% $2K

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco, CA

$512 11.8%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 42.4% $217

Eating Out

San Francisco, CA

$416 9.6%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 59.5% $248

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco, CA

$353 8.1%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 39.4% $139

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 3.6% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco, CA

$158 3.6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 63.5% $100

Getting Around

San Francisco, CA

$122 2.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 23.3% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,749 in San Francisco, CA versus $1,055 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 904% higher in San Francisco, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in San Francisco, CA versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $512 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

10:52 10:52 AM

2 h ahead of San Francisco, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

873,965

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

San Francisco, CA Medellin 5,870 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Francisco, CA
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

San Francisco, CA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Francisco, CA is pricier by about 169%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,513 per month in San Francisco, CA and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in San Francisco, CA and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,342 in San Francisco, CA and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 169%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in San Francisco, CA at $4,342. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Francisco, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Francisco, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.